The Third Stage

Book review #23 365 Thank Yous

Book reviews from The Third Stage is our blog series devised to recommend marketing and networking books that could help with your business.

365 Thank Yous

John Kralik

ISBN 978-1-4013-2405-6

 
This book is a story of personal journey made by a middle-aged American lawyer who made a fundamental decision to change his rotten life by spending a year sending out 365 thank you notes. It is intensely personal and often excruciatingly so.

What we find important about this book, is that it is part of a trend towards older values; the simple politeness of saying thank you, being grateful for what we do have rather than bemoaning what we don't have, showing appreciation to those around us.

John Kalik's personal style of thank you note will not suit everybody. The pain that he felt and healed will be uncomfortable for some. However, take on board the underlying honesty and warmth of this story, and the amazing decision he took to do this, and you will learn a lot from this book.

Saying thank you is a first step towards developing your own ability to treat others with appreciation and by doing so to improve their lives and yours. Have a read we're sure you will enjoy this.

Book Review #22 The Pickle-Smith Trunk-Warmer

Book reviews from The Third Stage is our blog series devised to recommend marketing and networking books that could help with your business.

Ok well not strictly true this time around, however The Pickle-Smith Trunk-Warmer is an illustration of the writing capabilities of a great friend of ours, James Daniel of Earthmonkey, a fine copywriter and SEO guy. TPSTW showcases some of James' talent, and if you are a student of marketing also take a look at the campaign behind the book on Twitter / Facebook and at the website www.picklesmith.co.uk.

But down to serious stuff. TPSTW is a ripping yarn for pre-12 children telling (hopefully only the first installment of) the story of Indigo 'Indy' Pickle-Smith. Indy is a serial inventor of such impressive gadgets as the Pickle-Smith Alien-Translator TM, and the Pickle-Smith Kung-Fu-Matic Robot TM. This story focuses on his fight to get recognition for the Pickle-Smith Trunk-Warmer, a design to prevent elephants from getting trunk frost when skiing. Despite attention from the vile Hugo, cannibals in Africa and a cat on a hang-glider Indy......but that would be giving the story away wouldn't it :-).

TPSTW is beautifully written and the cartoon illustrations are great. We can unashamedly say  "Go here and buy it" if you have a youngster in your family - it is great fun and they will enjoy it thoroughly.

Book Review #21 Loan Sharp

Book reviews from The Third Stage is our blog series devised to recommend marketing and networking books that could help with your business.

Loan Sharp

Rob Warlow

ISBN 978-1-905823-77-2

 

The first thing we should say is that if you are a UK small business owner, you should recognise the need to collect a number of key publications that can act as manuals and guides your business; Loan Sharp is one of those books.

Rob Warlow brings many years of small and medium size business banking experience, a great deal of common sense, and a healthy sense of humour to what is a dry subject. Loan Sharp addresses how to go about raising finance for your small business. We particularly like the tag line ‘Get the business finance you deserve’. Rob is upfront and saying that taking a loan from a bank should be your funding choice of last resort. He takes you through the alternative sources of finance your business from angel investors to family members to your savings, ending up with what you need to do if the bank is your choice.

What is stressed throughout are two critical areas that will require your attention that may not be as obvious in seeking a loan, as you would suppose. These are good preparation, and good communication. Most people would suppose that the filling in of a form to apply for a business loan from a bank is the process. But the preparation in having a business plan, practised pitch, and good presentation are critical, as is establishing a relationship with the bank prior to meeting with the bank manager.

The book has an excellent section on understanding your own financials, which is a good education for anyone without accountancy qualifications, and it has been made easy to understand. The last detailed section of the book deals with the way that your loan application will be assessed, considered, and decided on. The detail into which your bank manager will go, and the way of your application will be assessed is set out for you, and should give you plenty of food for thought as you complete your preparation.

Don’t forget that should your loan be granted this is the beginning of a different relationship with the bank manager that will need to be maintained and serviced with the same degree of care that you would take over customer relationship.

So if you’re in the UK we would suggest that you get a copy of this book, read it, use it, keep it as one of the critical knowledge resources in your business.

You can buy Loan Sharp here.

Book Review #20 Rework

Book reviews from The Third Stage is our blog series devised to recommend marketing and networking books that could help with your business.

Rework

Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

ISBN 978-0-09-192978-7

Rework is the outcome of the growth philosophy of the excellent 37 Signals company, or should we say the un-growth philosophy. 37 Signals has grown through it's ability to fly in the face of established start-up logic, no VC, no major corporate infrastructure, geographically dispersed staff, no major PR, just good products that work, clever people and a refreshing attitude to the world.

The book shows how they have debunked established wisdom, and whilst not every chapter makes sense for new businesses in the new economy, many hit the spot.

Look at some of the chapters:

Start a business not a start up

Throw less at the problem

Good enough is fine

Out-teach your competition

Hire when it hurts

Send people home at 5

Get the idea? Rework gives sound advice to those of us who work ridiculous hours, who think success is judged by numbers of staff or shiny offices. We particularly like the sections on building half a product, not a half-assed product, and selling your by-products.

This is an easy read and is thought provoking. We like this book, and like 37 Signals - give it a read.

Book Review #19 What Matters Now

Book reviews from The Third Stage is our blog series devised to recommend marketing and networking books that could help with your business.

What Matters Now

Seth Godin

ISBN 978-0-557-25576-4

The strapline is 'things to do and think about this year'. Conceived by Seth Godin the blogger, this book is a pull-together of the individual ideas of 70 'big thinkers' - each gets a page and a single word title - excellence, harmony and so on. The proceeds from the book go to a good cause Room to Read.

So what to say? Self-styled gurus generally don't do it for us, and certainly we could (but won't) pick on some of the fabulous 70 who have bought their own publicity and think that a small diagram or a few words equals inspiration. But let's be positive - this book is a great idea and is, those few excepted, an inspirational work to the extent that we now follow quite a few of the contributors on Twitter.

We found Elizabeth Gilbert on Ease, Jackie Huba and Ben McConnell on 1%, Chris Anderson on Atoms, Mitch Joel on Compassion, Joi Ito on Neoteny, Tim Sanders on Confidence, Martha Beck on World-Healers, and JC Hutchins on Gumption really interesting. So the book makes you think, gives some inspiration and is good to read. You can also download the legit pdf copy from the Seth Godin site, or buy it here.

We like, please give it a read!

If you have read What Matters Now and would like to leave comment please feel free to do so. If you would like to contribute a book review please contact us.

Book Review #18 Outrageous Advertising

Book reviews from The Third Stage is our blog series devised to recommend marketing and networking books that could help with your business.

Outrageous Advertising

Bill Glazer

ISBN 978-0-98237-930-1

Outrageous Advertising is, well, outrageous. In so many ways the book is an example of what it sets out to promote, and what it promotes is Bill Glazer.

The book is published by Glazer Kennedy Publishing, with a Forward by Dan Kennedy and the book by Bill Glazer. It sets out numerous ways to self-publicise and to publicise your own business. The examples are many, many examples of what Bill Glazer has done over the years and of businesses he has helped. You just have to admire the non-stop self-promotion and how the book promotes itself and the follow-on CD and G-K membership. Chapter 4 asks you to turn to page 312 to order up the CD nine times. To test out if the selling process works we went to page 312, ordered the CD & signed up for the two month free membership & haven't had an email back from them in 4 days! The magic, however is that the book self-demonstrates, i.e. by reviewing its most outrageous ploy to get people to sign up, we have a) signed up and b) reinforced the message by mentioning it here.

In practical terms the book demonstrates numerous ways that a business can step outside its normal practices and achieve extraordinary results. The techniques are sophisticated on the inside (split test, plan campaigns, remind sequentially) and brash and blatantly corny on the outside (send a coconut through the mail, write a letter like a 7 year old in crayon). You may think that some of the techniques are too American for a European audience - yes Bill I could resist opening a popcorn bag that comes through my letterbox. We think that many of the techniques will apply anywhere (using copydoodles, tear strip mock newspaper ads, using the whitespace on the back of envelopes) and will try some of them.

Despite a natural cynicism about books with men in straightjackets screaming on the front cover, this is a fabulous read and gets our award for the most use of a single word in a book for many years, that word is "outrageous".

If you have read Outrageous Advertising and would like to leave comment please feel free to do so. If you would like to contribute a book review please contact us.

Book Reviews #17 Conscious Business

Book reviews from The Third Stage is our blog series devised to recommend marketing and networking books that could help with your business.

Conscious Business – How to build value through values

Fred Kofman

ISBN 1-59179-517-6

Conscious Business is a book that attempts to apply business psychological theory to practical situations. It combines personal experiences with practical examples in an attempt to give the reader a more informed description of both the problem and the solution.

It is quite clear from the start that Kofman would like to beyond the usual realm of superficial and self evident truths frequently found in business literature. Kofman injects a philosophical element into his solutions which draws heavily on his interest in spiritual beliefs. The examples also show that Kofman, as an experienced consultant, is able to provide clear procedures on how people can take a look at their behaviours and make a conscious effort to change them.

Starting on page 17, Kofman draws a contrast between unconscious and conscious behaviours, breaking them down into subheadings and then explaining them in a business sense. He then uses this framework to provide the chapters for the rest of the book, including practical examples of each behaviour and procedures that can be taken to change them.

This book may begin in the way a journal article or academic paper would, but as you get into the book it is clear that Kofman has attempted to make academia practical and in a sense combining many psychological concepts with his real life experience as a consultant. Therefore patience is needed with this book as the abstract nature of the first few pages may daunt readers looking for realistic advice, but at around page 42 the book becomes far more focussed on the real changes that can be made in business.

If you are looking for a book that makes you think twice about how you interact with people day-to-day, more specifically your employees, employers, colleagues and clients, then this book is a must read. Also if you’re a business student struggling to find the link between academic business psychology terms and what it will mean in real life, then this book can provide a useful alternative viewpoint.

If you have read Conscious Business and would like to leave comment please feel free to do so. If you would like to contribute a book review please contact us.

Book Reviews #16 The Path of Least Resistance

Book reviews from The Third Stage is our blog series devised to recommend marketing and networking books that could help with your business.

The Path of Least Resistance

Robert Fritz

ISBN 0930641000

It may be 25 years old next Year but The Path of Least Resistance is a masterpiece. A mixture of logic (common sense) and creative inspiration, the book invites you to reconnect with your natural power to create.

It deals with making Fundamental and Primary choices in your life which then underlay and drive your sub-conscious actions. Unlike many so-called self help gurus, Fritz tackles the fundamentals rather than the dressing. How you get to where you want to get is not dealt with – that will work itself out if your core self and primary choices are aligned – i.e. if you are working for yourself rather than against yourself. None of this is to say that anything will be easy, as this requires self-analysis and assessment of your current reality, not simply changing process.

Fritz says: “When you shift to the orientation of the creative, you firmly place the authority for the quality and direction of your life where it belongs: in your own hands. You establish a new bond between you as a creator and reality as your field of creation. The result is a reuniting with the power of the individual and a renewal of the human spirit”

We say: “Get it, read it, love it”

If you have read The Path of Least Resistance and would like to leave comment please feel free to do so. If you would like to contribute a book review please contact us.

Book Reviews #15 365 Ways To Change The World

Book reviews from The Third Stage is our blog series devised to recommend marketing and networking books that could help with your business.

365 Ways To Change The World

Michael Norton

ISBN 0954930967

So you want to change the world but don't quite know where to start? Michael Norton's book gives an idea a day, for a year. Each idea comes with an explanation of what it is and why it is relevant, together with links to supporting organisations and examples.

Some of the ideas are really really big - Boycott the USA - and slightly impractical. Some of the ideas are common sense for families at home - Stick 'Em Up (use less water and power). Some of them are astonishingly simple but grab your imagination - Guerilla Gardening - Bicycle Recycling - Anonymous Generosity.

We can't recommend this book highly enough. There is something for every family and every business that will let you make some changes in your lives that make a small difference. This can be done without mega sacrifice, to help make the world better. It put a smile on the reviewer's face and look out for page 195!

If you have read 365 Ways To Change The World and would like to leave comment please feel free to do so. If you would like to contribute a book review please contact us.

Book Reviews # 14 Today Matters

Book reviews from The Third Stage is our blog series devised to recommend marketing and networking books that could help with your business.

TODAY MATTERS

By John C. Maxwell
ISBN: 0446529583 

This book is an inspirational read as it provides a guide in to taking small steps that can help you make a change in life leading to success.

The author offers twelve daily practices to help you control your daily agenda, make time for people and find success in your career. Listed below are a few of the proposed steps to take.

• Stretch your creativity and thinking-generate new ideas every day to become a more valuable employee or boss

• Improve and build relationships-connect with others every day with Maxwell's easy how-to's

• Nurture your personal growth-find out how to make yourself more valuable every day, and enjoy the payoff tomorrow.

If you have read Today Matters and would like to leave comment please feel free to do so. If you would like to contribute a book review please contact Marie.